I rolled my shoulders back, giving him a good shot of the dress.
“You are a delight. How these men ever let you leave their sight is beyond me.”
I tossed my head back and laughed the way I’d done dozens of times back in Scarlata when my bed got a little too cold. A little too lonely. “Trust me, they try.”
A satisfied growl rumbled from his chest, but I acted as if I hadn’t heard it, finding my seat quickly and leaving him to greet Jessiah and Xavier. Xavier took the seat opposite of me so the two of us flanked Cornelius. Jessiah sat on my left.
He said nothing, but his dislike for the king was a living, breathing entity surrounding him.
“Thank you for hosting this dinner,” he said, his tone civil. “You are too kind.”
Cornelius waved a dismissive hand. “Please, please. After the journey you’ve made, it’s the least I can do. I was surprised when I heard of your arrival.”
“Why surprised?” I asked. “You were the one who sent the letter, were you not?”
Humming, he picked up a glass of red wine. “Unfortunately, not many kingdoms have responded to my request for aid.”
“Many kingdoms can’t spare the manpower. They’ve got their own concerns to keep at the forefront,” Xavier said. “It’s hard for a kingdom to defend others when it can hardly defend itself.”
Head tilted to one side, Cornelius studied him, as if really seeing him for the first time. Xavier looked gorgeous in an all-black suit that fit his sculpted body to perfection.
Once again, I acknowledged the fact that I was a woman with needs. And I wasn’t blind.
Cornelius nodded. “You make a good point. I suppose Scarlata doesn’t have enemies like these anymore?”
Xavier smiled tightly. “Not anymore, no.”
As silence filled the room, I picked up my own wineglass. The ale in Scarlata—though it got the job done—was nothing compared to the sweet, luxurious liquid in this glass.
So I took a sip. And then another.
“I admire you three. I do. And I must confess my admiration for your king and queen, as well,” Cornelius began. “Though when I wrote seeking aid, I expected an army, or at least a partial one. Yet only the three of you came.” He arched a brow in a manner that was subtly challenging. “We’ve struggled to quash a few minor uprisings. They should be easily stopped, but unfortunately, our own army has been… unable to complete the task.”
Jessiah shifted next to me, his white wings barely fitting in his dining chair, but I kept my kohl-lined eyes locked on Cornelius.
“What makes you say that?” Jessiah asked. “I’ve heard nothing but grand things about Pericius. Surely, our army is nothing in comparison to yours.”
Cornelius smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “We’ve had some deserters. More than half, actually.”
Across the table, Xavier choked on his wine.
“More than half of your army has deserted? They’re not joining the uprisings, are they?” I asked.
Cornelius sighed. “Some of them, yes. Others have fled the kingdom entirely. It only took a few conspirators to convince hundreds of men to betray us.”
Interesting.
Jessiah leaned forward, the tip of his white wing almost grazing my shoulder. “And these rebellions, what’s causing them? What do they want?”
That was the question.
Naturally, the staff chose that moment to bring out large plates of food for us. If Cornelius heard Jessiah’s question, heacted as though he hadn’t, instead shifting his attention to the food being placed in front of us.
I couldn’t help it. My stomach grumbled on sight.
Even in Scarlata, our food options were limited. Most of the citizens were vampyres who preferred very rare meat over anything as delicious as this, meaning any other food was low on the priority list.
“Oh, my,” I breathed.
